Past projects 3
Flocabulary's Academics/Social Emotional Learning Through Rap for Students with Disabilities
Funded Oct 16, 2024You have the sincere thanks from both my whole class and myself. You've allowed us to access materials that are not only more engaging than most programs (what's more engaging than music?), but also academically and social/emotionally focused.
We use the program weekly to discuss Current Events through their Week in Rap videos. The videos talk about the big events of the week, focus on new vocabulary in each of the stories, and provide comprehension questions at the end. After reviewing the vocabulary they even have a game where it presents the new words and their definitions and use all while earning different instruments to make a beat.
Most importantly, a major focus is Social and Emotional learning. The Flocabulary program offers a number of videos and materials around different emotions and how to deal with them, building empathy, diversity, and over 40 other lessons directly or tangentially connected to building students up with mental health skills and coping mechanisms.
Again, thank you so much for funding the program for my class. Engagement can be difficult with typically developed students, and that difficulty increases with students with disabilities. Anything that can engage them on a higher level will increase academic rigor and further connect students to the material.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Tyler
This classroom project was brought to life by .Building Our Class Library Our Way
Funded Nov 8, 2024The impact of your donation has gone beyond what I even expected. Not only have my students taken part in shaping their class library by making selections that are relevant to their interests and backgrounds, but actively taken an interest in Literacy in a way I've not seen before.
Curious about the packages, they crowded around when opening them and began claiming books immediately. They browsed through, recognized some titles and topics, and helped go through our (largely inherited bookcase) to begin making it our own. We have a lot of work to do to get it updated and based on present student interests, but we've made a great start that everyone is excited about.
One unexpected outcome of your funding has been an increased interest in Literacy even outside of your generously funded selections. By updating and organizing our library students have requested to take home many of the new books, but also a handful of the books already there!
I'll take whatever interest in reading I can get! Thank you again for helping us begin our journey and know that it is just the first step!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Tyler
This classroom project was brought to life by Reese's Book Club and one other donor.Flocabulary's Academics Through Rap for Students with Disabilities
Funded Jul 16, 2023It really cannot be understated, the impact that an engaging lesson has on a student. On the flip side, I can't stress how disastrous it can be when a teacher works hard on a lesson only to see bored eyes and hear crickets chirping. That 50 minute period can feel like hours. The bored looks of the students are craving engagement. They're looking for something to talk about and get excited about, but they know that whatever is going on isn't it.
Flocabulary offers a unique way to engage with topics and ideas that wouldn't necessarily draw in most students. By using music with beats to draw them in, this program snaps the students out of that bored look, even if discussing current events would normally have it permanently on their face. My students engage with the material and there's nothing better for a teacher to see or work with.
One of my students just kept shaking his head and saying how corny the whole idea of it was: rapping the rules to grammar or ways to deal with feelings. I laughed and said that it was a way to draw students in, but I will tell you that this student was engaged and trying to use context clues in the lyrics to work out difficult vocabulary meanings that even his general education peers would have trouble with. Thank you for this opportunity, and know that it is being used regularly and across a huge variety of topics.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Tyler
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Supporter and one other donor.